Murciélago
by K. Fang-sama
Summary: Night. What an ironic setting. Yet here these two are, opposing forces of the same time span, working behind a black veil. Their lives didn't have to come to this, but she heard his name... she heard what he had done. And she was desperate. AU, UlquixOc/UlquiorraxOC, rated for future content.
1. Chapter 1

_**Back to Bleach again... what are ya gonna do?**_

* * *

Murciélago

**Chapter One**

Night.

What an ironic setting.

Indeed, the man couldn't imagine anything more so. The dark setting of the day was just odd. At one moment, you could be walking by yourself and one of two things could catch your attention. The beauty of the stars and the moon, or the strange noises off in the distance. You're either at peace, or you're on edge. It was like that every night, and not one night did you always feel the same way.

Oddly enough, the man felt both ways every single night. The life he lived was a risky one, so he couldn't very well afford to have his guard down. Yet at the same time, it was the only time he felt any form of tranquility. He couldn't feel that during the day; everyone talked about him, and he knew because they'd always look at him. It was attention he didn't want, nor did he know if he could even afford. No...

The night was safer.

**"Target in sight."** A voice whispered, coming through the ear wick in his left ear. The man pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes tightly. He was _working_; he couldn't space out while he was _working_.

Letting out a cold breath, the man lifted his arm and spoke into the microphone attached to the cuff of his sleeve: "Hiawatha?"

**"Yeah. Across the street, headed your way."** The man turned his to look. Yes, there was his guy. He was walking pretty fast with that briefcase of his. No doubt holding the key he needed hostage.

The man crossed the empty street at a casual pace. No need to startle the other, not now. All it would take would be for the man to stop, and then the key would be his.

And the night just so happened to love him tonight, for the man he was following stopped at a corner to look both ways and cross. _"How foolish."_ He thought, the ghost of a smirk on his face as he put the needle in the man's neck, injecting the anesthetic agent; very similar to the anesthesia given at hospitals, but it was much more powerful, and it left a few more after effects on the target in question.

The man fell, instantly, completely unconscious. The man then moved for the suitcase, which was locked with a different key. It didn't take long to find that on the unconscious man's person before opening the thing. He took out the key he was looking for, a small thing with a plastic end that had a '59' on it.

"Too easy." The man thought, standing up as a white car turned the corner. He got into the back, putting the key in his pocket as he sat down.

"Where to, boss?" Said a man with pink hair and rectangular glasses as he began driving again.

The man in back narrowed his eyes. "Preston Train Station. North Side."

There was silence, but the man in back could feel his subordinate's risen brow. "A locker at a train station?" He questioned. The boss only nodded. "What kind of idiot steals a little girl's blood transfusion, makes a ransom notice for it, then hides it in a train locker."

"The idiot that thinks he can make bank by threatening the life of the mafia boss' daughter." Came the quick reply. The driver chuckled at this, but said nothing. He simply drove as fast as the speed limit would allow so they could get paid.

* * *

Detective Artemis Yukimura slammed the door to her apartment shut, looking more than pissed. Recently, the Homicide Unit of Seireitei, California started investigating into the murders of fifteen girls. They were between the ages of twelve and seventeen, and they were all brutally murdered. Raped, cut, missing organs, and not to mention the flesh being torn from the bone and left all over each scene.

The young detective combed one of her hands through her moonlight-blue hair. That all started six weeks ago. And the only reason they found the scenes was because the bastard was taunting them by leaving 911 calls. It wasn't even the case that was bugging her though, it was what her stupid Captain decided to do.

Captain Kaname Tousen had always meant well, and he wanted nothing more than for the cities to be safe. However, he had his eyes set on bringing former street thug: Kenpachi Zaraki put away without ever seeing his daughter again. Her captain hated her, though. Kenpachi was supposed to be in good jail for a good few years to come, but was about to be let out on good behavior. Her profile on him cleared him, and he managed to get supervised visits with his kid: Yachiru.

And because of that, her defenses for the upcoming father, who was following the law just fine at this point, went upon deaf ears. Lieutenant Kuchiki, Sergeant Hitsugaya and her partner, Detective Matsumoto, were all in agreement that Zaraki wasn't their guy; despite the first two not liking him. The Captain had none of it, though; and because she had banded the three together to help make a case, the captain suspended her for three weeks without pay.

That was crossing the line. She knew that, because before she left, both the Sergeant and the Lieutenant told her that they were filing sanctions on the captain, and they were going to make them stick. And with how stacked their desks normally were...

Artemis sighed. At least she swiped a copy of the police files so she could keep working the case. The only thing she could hope for at this point was for her captain to learn that he was wrong, let Zaraki go, and then let her go back to work. That meant another girl had to die again, but as it stood, that was inevitable.

The detective sighed again; sky blue eyes eying the scotch just calling for her. She went and poured herself a glass before sitting on her couch.

Things would only get worse from here.

* * *

_**Well, never imagined this. An AU is definitely a nice challenge. Hope you've enjoyed!**_

_**~ K. Fang-sama**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Well, here's the next chapter for ya!**_

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Murciélago

**Chapter Two**

Six days had passed since Artemis had been suspended, and needless to say, she was exhausted. The anger had long since passed, and the scotch could no longer help her restless nights' sleep. Without the standard routine of her job, she couldn't help but feel a form of anxiety; as if just waiting for something to go wrong. That's what you expect as an officer of the law.

Morning hit, and once the sun hit her face, Artemis was wide awake. Her skin had begun to pale a bit and bags had formed under her narrow blue eyes. Her long blue hair was in a rat's nest from tossing and turning in bed, and overall, she was pretty damn sore.

She turned on the TV in her room and moved to the bathroom door, that stood just a few feet away from her television. As per always, it was on the news channel. Normally, she didn't care for it, but she needed to keep tabs on this psycho she was chasing.

And sure enough, just as she turns the faucets of her sink: "Earlier this morning, a maid at Urahara Suites found the body of a dead girl in one of the eight floor complexes. Local Leos are now on the scene and have yet to disclose whether or not this murder was committed by the Dashing Demon killer." Artemis narrowed her eyes; she put money that this incident wouldn't stop Tousen from still declaring Zaraki guilty, despite having spent the past few days locked up.

_"I hope he sues."_ She couldn't help but think, getting ready for her day. Zaraki didn't deserve to be harrassed anymore; the man learned his lesson years ago. If this arrest causes him to lose time with his kid, then the detective was more than willing to take the offensive alongside him.

Artemis showered, brushed her teeth, dried her hair, then got dressed in a simple pair of jeans and a green turtle neck sweater. She was about to rummage her fridge for some breakfast, however, realized she was much lower on supplies than she was used to. The woman sighed. How was it she didn't notice this sooner? Oh, right! She was too busy trying to get inside the killer's head. As unhealthy as that sounded, Artemis had a bachelor's in Criminal Psychology and went to several profiling seminars and classes. She knew what she was doing, and she knew how to recognize she needed to step back.

The current case of her kitchen being one of the possible red flags.

So, with some reluctance, Artemis left for the nearest grocery store she could find. Today would have been Price Chopper, had it not been for what she had noticed in the parking lot of her local drug store: the Farmer's Market. It didn't matter that she lived on a detective's salary, Artemis loved fresh food. Fruits, vegetables, she even found great fish here. On top of that, there several treats that could be bought here, like fried dough and fudge.

With a wide grin, she turned into the parking lot and got the first spot she could find. The market was crowded, but that was to be expected. She wasn't the only one who preferred fresh food, after all. Artemis jumped out of her car, locked it, then raced towards the stands. She bought things she found to her fancy, naturally. Some apples, oranges, kale, lettuce, onion, potatoes, and such. She also bought fresh spices such as garlic, parsley, basil and thyme. On top of that, she picked up a few crabs, lobster, shrimps, squid, and a swordfish.

In the few hours of shopping, Artemis was still on the hunt for a batch of fruit that had been, thus far, nowhere to be found: blackberries. She loved blackberries, and she'd always buy them by the bundle. Looking at the tables, though, no one had them. "Do you need any help, Miss?" A calm, neutral voice asked her.

Turning around, the bluenette surprised herself by finding a small table with only one man and his car behind it. The man was in his late twenties, with shoulder length black hair, large green eyes, yet pale skin. He was wearing black jeans and a green t-shirt, a burgundy apron on over them both, and a yellow visor to keep the sun out of his eyes. Seeing as how he had a small table, he was probably more of a gardener than a farmer, and probably didn't stay outside longer than it took to nurture his plants.

Looking at the name tag he had on first, she spoke up. "Yes, I do, Ulquiorra. You wouldn't happen to sell blackberries, would you?"

Ulquiorra, as his name went, seemed surprised by the request but he soon nodded. "I do actually. I have a few bundles with me, if you'd like to see them."

"Yes, please." Came the immediate response. And so, Ulquiorra moved behind him before taking out a few basket with about two cups worth of blackberries in each. Artemis looked them over, surprised at how well-kept they were at first, before turning to Ulquiorra and asking him: "How much?"

The ebony, expression blank of emotion, said: "A dollar per basket." The detective couldn't help her smile. That was better luck than she got anywhere else.

"Give me a dozen." She told him. Ulquiorra's surprise came about once more, as not a lot of people liked blackberries, and most that did never really bought so much. However, he brushed it off just as the woman reached for her wallet. He bagged her blackberries, and she gave him the twelve dollars for them. After getting the bag securely in her hand, she turned and said: "Have a good one." Ulquiorra only nodded, then moved to put out some more of his products.

Getting home quickly, Artemis went straight to getting the fish in the fridge. Before unloading everything else. She decided on shrimp stir fry, and went about cooking. Once the stir fry and the rice were finished, she made herself a plate, then sat down to eat. It was by this point, that her phone started ringing. "Yukimura."

"Arti-kun! How are you? You're not withering away in that bland apartment of yours, are you?"

Artemis smirked. Only her partner could get away with calling her that. "For your information, I just got back from a lovely morning at the Farmer's Market. Got my blackberries and everything." Rangiku giggled at the other end of the line, making Yukimura pause before asking: "What's up? Besides the new body, that is."

Matsumoto sighed. "Zaraki's out, finally. Sergeant got to the Captain with a sanction."

Her partner whistled. "Wow. Hitsugaya must have had something good if the Captain let go of one of his targets."

"He did." She responded, her voice full of joy. "And something tells me the Lieutenant's going to use the same thing to get you back into work." She predicted.

"Don't let him." Came the immediate response. Matsumoto's 'huh?' rang through, not understanding Artemis' logic when the girl obviously wanted to get back to work. "Girl, I can deal with flying solo. We can't have someone like Tousen running Homicide, things will just continue to get worse. We need someone smart and strong, yet at the same time, we need someone less bullheaded. Ya get me?"

"Mm-hm. Okay, I'll let him know. That means you're out for almost another two weeks, though." She complained.

Artemis sighed, a smile on her face. "There's a sacrifice for all great causes, Rangiku. Besides, if things will pan out the way I think they will, then the captain will have me back in before the end of the week." She informed the woman.

* * *

Night came about once again, and Ulquiorra Cifer drove himself to a bar on the Eastern end of the city called: "Las Noches." He went here for its retro style and the fact that there was actually something in town that made him look less pale. More importantly though, this is where he met up with his colleagues to discuss business.

He parked his car then walked inside. As per usual, he went to the far corner of the room where everyone was seated. There was his driver from a few nights before, Szayel, but there were some other figures. There was a big loaf named Yami; the man didn't have a lot of brains, but he was intuitive enough when instructed and helped a great deal when he needed answers. The tall man with the eye patch, Nnoitra. He communicated with Ulquiorra's clients directly, and got information from women where it could be helped. Hallibel, she was another person who helped gather information, but she also acted as a driver and security officer when need be.

Seeing his usual Angry Orchard at his usual seat in the corner, Ulquiorra sat down with them in the darkness. "What new business has come?" He asked, opening his bottle.

And the meeting began.

* * *

_**Like I need to lead anyone on about who **__**Murciélago is... Well, at least I got another chapter in. Hope you've enjoyed. :)**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Damn, this is fun! :)**_

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Murciélago

**Chapter Three**

Artemis walked down the streets in the lower town district, better known by most of its occupants as Hueco Mundo. Most people knew when they saw a cop, but not Artemis. No, to them she was just another woman trying to get her day over with so she can relax. The look on her face as she walked, and the more casual choice of clothing, helped her fit this look rather well.

The blunette sighed. As dangerous as it was, she only came down here for information. Normally, she made a phone call but not this time. The person she was coming to see preferred personal visits, and quite regrettably...

_She was getting desperate._

As much as she hated to admit it, Artemis was in desperate need for information. She was now on her eleventh day of suspension and the killer was beginning to escalate. She was nowhere near catching him, no matter how much she understood how he thought. Pretty basically, she was looking for a psychopath which was like finding a needle in a haystack. They knew how to fake their way through society, and seeing as how this one was smart enough to clean up anything that could incriminate him, he was probably in the system.

Detective Yukimura entered Kurosaki's; a cafe within the vicinity owned by gang leader Ichigo Kurosaki. His band, the Ryuka, weren't big trouble makers as far as her knowledge went. In fact, they seemed more obligated to defending the people in Hueco Mundo than they were to strike them. They just didn't trust the police because of their pasts. Not that Artemis could blame the orange-head. After all, his parents were dead because the department wouldn't take him seriously. As of late, though, she knew things just got worse for him.

She entered the cafe with a straight back, looking specifically for the boss. He was in his usual seat in the midst of crowded people. The carrot-top sat at one of his tables with a cup of coffee in one hand, and an omelet sitting on the plate in front of him, barely touched. To his side was his bodyguard, Chad; a big guy who stood loyally for his friend. In the corner, she could see his marksman, Uryu Ishida. The blue-head was suspected of murder, but nothing that they could tie him to as he went through guns as quickly as they shot through people.

Artemis approached the man's table at a casual pace, stopping at an inch away from it. "Mind if I sit here?" She questioned calmly.

Ichigo's brown eyes were on her; they were cold, and they didn't want her in his line of sight. It wasn't the first time she went to talk to Ichigo, as she managed to earn the man's trust. Now was just a horrible time for him, which meant he didn't want to talk to anyone. Sighing once, he said: "I don't care."

The woman nodded and took her seat. Ishida went to change his position, just in case she was armed. Of course, she never came here that way but Ishida was too careful for that. "I'll get to the point." She told him, not bothering to even ask for a drink. "Place feels emptier," she started, "I'm still trying to imagine showing up and not seeing those smiles of theirs." Ichigo's frown deepened at this, sadness and fury edging into his eyes. "I know you don't want to talk about your sisters, I also know you want the bastard who did this to pay, but-"

"You're out of leads and you want me to give you a new one." He finished. He wasn't an idiot, he knew why she showed up. "Excuse me if I feel like after the eleventh and twelfth victims were found if I don't have faith in you, Artemis. But, even if I did, I don't have anything more than mere rumor I could give you." He informed her coldly.

She sighed. "I don't blame you, Ichigo. Believe me, I don't. But I'm not going to wait for my boss to screw things up again. He already went and arrested an innocent man who now wants our heads on a stick."

"Kenpachi." He stated bluntly. She nodded once, at which he only sighed of grief. "I suppose you're right. But, I've already had some of my best sweep through them and what I've heard has been exactly what you want me to tell you: rumors. Only person I can think of that could provide anything concrete is-" Ichigo stopped himself, shaking his head furiously. "No, forget it."

The detective's brow perked. "What? Who?" She asked.

Again, the man shook his head. "The guy wouldn't help, anyways." He stated as a matter of fact.

"Ichigo." The detective begged. "Please, I don't have anything else to go on. I need a thread to pull on right now, and you're just dangling it in my face telling me not to take it." She complained, her eyebrows furrowing. "If there's some way that this guy can be caught, then I'll take it."

Said gang leader let out a sigh before eying his marksman before tilting his head towards the wall phone not too far from his position. Ishida nodded once, moving to grab the phone. Ichigo waited until the latter picked it up before looking at Artemis with one of the most serious expressions she had ever seen him pull. "Would you really pull on any thread necessary?" He asked her strictly, his eyes growing dark. This silenced the detective, as she wasn't sure how to respond to his question. "More importantly, are you willing to pull on such a narrow thread that has such a small chance of helping you?"

"What are you getting at, Ichigo?" She asked slowly, a brow raised.

The carrot-top sighed, leaning back into his chair. "There is a man in these parts that works in the shadows of the night. He's a master at finding things; objects, animals, people, he can even dig up some pretty dirty secrets. No one knows his face, as he always keeps it hidden by a shadow, and he's always dressed head to toe in black. For such, they've given him the name: Murciélago."

The woman sighed. "Let me guess; because he's so good, he'll only take certain cases that suit his fancy." This was a statement, which Ichigo nodded at. "So, what exactly do I do to win that? Get the inheritance money out, wear something pretty?"

Ichigo shook his head. "Nah, people who try that don't typically last long. The guy charges two grand just for an appointment with him, but whether or not he takes your job has nothing to do with how much money you have, but rather, from what I've heard, based on what you're asking him to do and his impression of you. Money to him is just a means to get by." He informed her.

She sighed. "Am I to assume that he won't like me once he learns that I'm a police officer?" Again, the carrot-top nodded. "So, I can't very well ask him to help my department's investigation." She concluded, closing her eyes.

"You're serious," Ichigo questioned, somewhat shocked.

She smirked. "I don't care if it's a weak thread. It's there, so I'll pull on it. Now, how do I get in touch with this guy?" She asked him.

"You don't." Came the immediate reply, this time coming from the shooter with the phone in his hand. "We get you in touch with someone who knows one of Murciélago's employees, then you wait to receive a phone call with instructions and follow them to the letter." Ishida informed her, waiting for the man to pick up.

"That being said, Artemis," Ichigo spoke once more, a blank look on his face, "Make sure you've got some good detail laid out for him. He'd want to catch up to speed." He informed her.

The woman nodded, standing up and turning to leave.

* * *

A phone started ringing in the upper levels of King's Pub. Grimmjow groaned and looked at his clock: 1:00 pm. Damn it, his friends knew that he slept at this time. Grabbing the phone from the bedside table, he answered grumpily: "What?" Listening, he soon found himself sitting straight. "Since when does Kurosaki have me set up appointments for his friends?"

Another pause, this time with the man nodding. "All right, I'll pass it along. What was this chick's name again?" He asked, grabbing a pen and writing it down on some scrap piece of paper. "Artemis...Yukim-...mura? Artemis Yukimura?" He repeated for clarification. Ishida replied curtly. "Isn't that the chick that got Zaraki out of jail early?" He asked him. Again, another curt reply.

Grimmjow smirked. How interesting. "One appointment with the demon bat, coming right up."

* * *

_**Like? I tried not to make this OOC, but I don't work with Ichigo a lot, so...yeah.**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Here we go again! :)**_

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Murciélago

**Chapter Four**

Outside of Las Noches, the tall, one-eyed ebony known as Nnoitra Gilga stood, a phone to his ear. He would have been inside already, sitting with his boss as he should have been, but he had to get business sorted through before he could speak with Ulquiorra about the situation. And, this time, he had a damn good reason to do so.

"Pantera, are you sure about this?" He whispered into the phone, not all too comfortable with the new piece of work he gave them. Business was slow as of late, sure, but the boss wouldn't want this walking in their direction. Not without a very damn good reason.

A chuckle came from the other end. "For the last time, Santa Teresa, I'm sure. The Berry's good on his word, and the badge walking in has a good track around here." He stated with confidence.

Nnoitra shook his head. "A badge? No way. How the hell could she manage?" He asked in utter disbelief. He did his homework on the "badge" in question, and sure enough, she was good. But, that didn't get you far with Ulquiorra.

"She's the badge that got Zaraki out of jail, and even risked it to make sure he wasn't arrested last week." He stated simply.

The mantis' mouth went agape slightly. "No way." He breathed out.

"Way." Pantera replied. "Besides, she only wants an appointment. Strawberry's made it clear to her that she both has to pay and informed that she needs a damn good reason to get the demon working for her." He added, trying to put a good word to her.

The ebony sighed. Normally he didn't care about bringing people in, he loved having chicks coming in even more. But a cop? "Alright, I'll tell the boss. Don't expect him to agree to it, though." He warned. Pantera didn't even say goodbye, he just hung up. Sighing once, Nnoitra lugged his bag over his shoulder before looking at his watch.

**1:09**

Shit, he was late.

The man rushed to the front door, making his way in and moving stealthily to the corner where the meeting was bound to have been going on already. And, as predicted, the boss was in his corner, drinking an Angry Orchard while listening to Szayel report about his contacts. "I'm sorry, sir, but Verruga hasn't gotten anything new, not since we helped Coyote's daughter last week." The pink-head would have said more, had it not been for the fact he noticed Nnoitra standing there.

All eyes were on him within seconds, his colleagues knowing that the mantis would be in trouble if he didn't have a good reason for being late. Ulquiorra, in the darkness of his corner, put his bottle on the table with an audible slam. "You're late, why?" The shorter ebony asked him, far from pleased.

Nnoitra wasn't afraid of his boss, one of the reasons he enjoyed working with him was because he managed to keep life in the darkness interesting. Keeping everything precise was never really fun, but it was done for the sake of not being caught. Noticing one of his employees missing rose alarm, seeing them come in late rose suspicion.

Thankfully, he did have a viable excuse. "Sorry about that, Boss. Pantera kept me for longer than usual." He stated firsthand before moving to sit down. Sitting between Hallibel and Yammy was never ideal, but he was in no position to complain. "Someone wants an appointment with you." He added, passing the files he could dig up about the woman from underneath the table.

Ulquiorra took them, reading them as they laid open on his lap. The man had very good eyesight, making his life in the night suitable. Especially since the ability was handy in the case where you wanted to read papers that no one wanted seen. Pretty soon, though, his boss' glare came about him once again. "A badge?" He questioned.

"That's what we were talking about outside." Nnoitra stated firmly. "I don't like the idea that some chick from homicide wants to pay us a visit, but she got info about us from Strawberry, and Pantera was happy to give her a chance. Seems as though she's got a nice track record on that end." He stated.

"How?" Hallibel found herself asking.

Nnoitra chuckled. "Kenpachi Zaraki, that's how." Eyes widened around the table. There weren't a lot of people who didn't know that a cop from homicide helped Zaraki get out of jail through a psych evaluation, but there were few who knew her by name.

Ulquiorra's eyes narrowed before lowering his gaze down at the picture of Detective Yukimura. His eyes widened but only a fraction. It was rather hard to forget the blue-haired woman, especially since she bought most of his blackberries off of him. He almost smirked at this; he never imagined the woman as a police officer, let alone ties into the dark life in Hueco Mundo. Yes, he had become curious about the woman.

And anyone who got him curious deserved to be looked into at least once.

"Very well, then. I'll see what this badge has to say to us." He stated, passing the files underneath the table to Szayel; a silent order that called for more research. "Hallibel, I want you to inspect Homicide and make sure they aren't working on anything to compromise business. Yammy, call Zommari and tell him of the arrangements. Nnoitra, tell Pantera to give her instructions for pick up on the Western side tomorrow night." He informed them.

They stood to leave, and Nnoitra was about to head out back the way he normally did when it came time to leave. "And Nnoitra," Ulquiorra called, having not moved that far away from his seat. The taller ebony stopped, looking at his employer with a straight face. "Do it now." He ordered. The latter only smirked, nodding once before leaving the building.

* * *

Day twelve of Artemis' suspension, and needless to say, she wasn't thrilled. The body count totaled to eighteen now, and her boss was still not allowing her back into work. Normally this matter would be resolved right about now as Captain Tousen knew that he needed Yukimura's profiling skills to help narrow the suspect pool, but that simply wasn't happening. The Captain was now on a higher horse than ever, this time going after mafia boos Coyote Starrk as the killer, despite the fact the man had been worrying about his daughter Lilynette for awhile. And with good reason, as she almost died a little over a week ago and was recuperating rather slowly.

What was worse, Lieutenant Kuchiki couldn't hold his sanction on the Captain. It was swatted away, as if it never existed, making no argument they had useful. It was pathetic. The Captain remained on his high horse, putting people in jail for crimes they didn't commit, and for what? Justice as he put it, but that wasn't it. Tousen would do anything to get people he thought scum in prison. Which was part of the reason she let Zaraki out. He did bad things, sure, but he was not only put in jail for the wrong reasons, but even learned from his time in there.

Remembering things like this made the detective pissed. How she wished his career was ruined. Stained to the point he couldn't redeem himself, then maybe homicide could be run properly.

The home phone ringing brought Artemis out of her thoughts. She looked at the number, however, couldn't recognize the number. Pressing talk, she answered: "Yukimura."

"I'd hope so." A male voice said from the other end of the line. "Otherwise the demon bat would be on my ass." He added. The woman stayed quiet. It didn't take much for her to know what the call was about. Murciélago was the Spanish word for bat, and the Japanese word for black-winged-great-demon, meaning that if this wasn't Murciélago's employee, then he knew one of them. "Congrats, by the way, Detective. He's made a spot in his planner just for you." He added.

"What do you mean?" Came the immediate response.

The man chuckled. "Just follow these instructions, honey. And you'll find out." And Artemis listened intently, allowing the man to keep talking as an interesting thought came into her mind.

Yukimura smirked at this. She finally knew what she wanted Murciélago to do for her.

* * *

_**You like it? I hope so, because next chapter gets interesting.**_

_**~ K. Fang-sama**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**I love this fic! :)  
**_

* * *

Murciélago

**Chapter Five**

It was around two in the morning, the air cold on anyone's skin. Artemis was on the Western end of Hueco Mundo. She wasn't familiar with this edge of town, nor did she plan to be. She just sat in the front seat of her car, wearing a black trench coat over her standard work outfit: a brown blazer with a white blouse underneath as well as a pair of black pants and boots. Next to her was her backpack, filled with the files and notes she had on the Dashing Demon. Also with it were video recordings and newspaper clippings of her captain, as well as three envelopes.

A knock suddenly came at the driver's side window. Turning her head, she saw a man in a red leather jacket with electric blue hair leaning against her car. Lowering the window, she waited patiently for what the man had to say. After a brief pause, he asked: "See the birds flying tonight?"

She smirked at the man, and replied: "Only the ones running away from the panthers." The man smirked in return, pleased with the answer. He nodded his head, an order to come out.

Artemis followed, taking her backpack and leaving the keys in the ignition. They shook hands as if they were good friends before moving to hug one another. To onlookers, they made a cute pair. But, that was only because they couldn't hear what the man was whispering into her ear. "There's a bench on the next street to your right. Sit there, wait for a white car to blink its lights four times, then approach from the passenger side. He'll lower the window and ask you why you came, to which you'll reply: "For a sip of darkness." He will unlock the door, you'll get in, hand him his money, then he'll drive off. From there, you listen to what he tells you to do."

The woman nodded once, parting from the stranger with a smile before walking to the bench in question and letting him drive off with her car. She sat on the cold, black metal seating arrangement, then waited for her ride. It wasn't a bad wait at first, but it was still the ironic setting of night. A few gusts of wind and scatter of leaves, and she was very aware of the fact that she was alone and anyone could pop out at any given moment.

Sometime after, a white car across the street flashed its lights four times. Artemis stood, crossing the street and making it to the car as the passenger side window rolled down. It was dark, but the man inside wore glasses, and had rather bright hair. "What did a pretty thing like you come out here for?" The man asked casually.

Artemis smirked. "For a sip of darkness." The man smirked, unlocking the door for her and waiting for her to get inside. The blunette hopped in, closing the door before moving for her bag. She took out the first envelope and handed it to him. The driver took it, opened it and looked over the bills.

A few moments passed, but the man put the envelope in his jacket pocket. "Buckle up." She did so, and they drove off.

The drive was quiet for the most part, no music played, no words exchanged. She noticed that more warehouses were coming into view, making her a bit concerned. "Relax." He ordered, getting her glare in response. "Our boss doesn't take chances, as you know. Tiburón did a nice investigation of homicide, and revealed they weren't trying to infiltrate us. However, he's still too careful. Every client is searched head to toe before being driven off to see him. We're just going somewhere private where it can be done." He explained.

At hearing this, Artemis straightened her posture, crossing her arms. She didn't like this; it just seemed set up to kill her without anyone noticing.

They soon entered a garage to one of the warehouses, where three women stood waiting for them. Just ten feet away from them, the driver parked the car. "Listen to them if you want your appointment to go well." He instructed her.

Taking that as her cue to get out, Artemis grabbed her bag and approached the three. The tallest one was rather robust, with dark skin and long brown hair. The second, who was quite a few inches shorter, had short ebony black hair and had third was slightly shorter than the second, with long green hair and a much slimmer figure.

Artemis didn't greet them, nor did she ask for their names. Instead, she resigned her bag to the floor, holding her hands up where they could be seen. The women took the hint, the tallest one moving to search Artemis while the other two looked through her bag. "Clear." The first one said.

"Same." Said the second.

Looking down at her, the first woman said: "You can put your arms down now." Artemis did so, only to lift them again at being handed her bag back. "Follow us."

And she did, quietly passing through the halls before stopping in front of a door. The first woman opened it and walked inside, leaving the other two to shut the door. The room was small, and had few things in it. A couple chairs, a table, and a cooler. There was a red light coming from a corner in the ceiling, which Artemis quickly gave the stink eye to. "Infrared camera." The lady told her.

The cop raised her brow. "We've had some pretty strange bugs in the past, and that's made for a few close calls. That camera is connected to the boss so he knows we're following through with protocol, while at the same time, providing you some privacy." She explained.

Blinking once, Artemis quickly stated: "He wants me to strip so you can search my clothes for hidden cameras or mics."

The woman's lips tightened for a minute before saying: "You've got half of it." Seeing Artemis still confused, she continued. "Some people get..._creative_, with their systems, so we have to do a_ thorough_ search."

The detective quickly became bug-eyed at realizing what the lady was referring to. For a second, she was about to say something but ended up shaking her head. "Fine." She said, stripping down to her birthday suit, handing the clothes to the woman as she did so. The woman took quick notice of Artemis' scars, and rather grave reluctance to the task. So, once completely nude, the cop was given a beer out of the cooler, which she accepted gratefully.

The woman folded the cop's clothes before putting a hand on her chin. "Hold still." She instructed. The taller female checked Artemis' ears, her eyes, ruffled her hair, even opened her mouth to make sure nothing was in her teeth. The exam was not complete then, though. "Stand up." She did so, and without warning, the woman's fingers began exploring her vagina.

* * *

_Whimpering filled the room. "Uncle, what are you-?"_

_A slap rang through the room. "Shut up. You're my bitch, and you'll make only the sounds I tell you to!"_

* * *

The woman's fingers were removed, making Artemis let out the breath she didn't know she was breathing. The woman gave her back her clothes, an apologetic expression on her face. "I'm sorry," she whispered to the cop before leaving the room to let her get dressed.

For a few minutes, Artemis just stood there, getting her breathing under control. She looked at the camera in the room, noticing that it was still on. Once her breath was steady, she began getting dressed; zipping up her coat before stepping out.

The three women were all still there, but their hardened gazes were a bit softer now. "Follow me." The third woman spoke for the first time, handing the cop her bag. Artemis did so; walking until they were outside the building. A black car was pulled up in front of it, the engine running. "Give the driver his money, and listen to what she tells you to do."

That didn't go unnoticed. Two people? Why would they have a second passenger in there?

Regardless, she nodded at the woman and opened the passenger door. Shutting the door and putting down her bag, Artemis took quick notice of the driver. He had darker skin than the last one, he was much more muscular, and he was bald.

The man began driving once Artemis was buckled and the money was passed to him. They drove for all but ten minutes before Artemis began talking. "That woman said you had instructions for me. Is that not true, Señorita Tiburón?"

The car stopped, and pretty soon, the cop felt the barrel of a gun at her side. "How'd you know my alias? Or that it was me, for that matter?" A strict feminine voice from behind asked her.

Artemis smirked. "Mere conjecture. The first driver mentioned your name, Tiburón. He specifically said you looked into my department planning an ambush, meaning you either know one of my coworkers, or you work there also. The latter would make the most sense as to why you wouldn't want me to see you. I don't know your voice, you know, but you have a mind in you to think I'd know your face. It's the only reason I can think that Señor Murciélago wouldn't want you to be driving."

The cop could feel the shark's glare at her back. "The boss doesn't like potential clients trying to unravel things, detective. I'd advise against it if you want his help."

The latter sighed. "Force of habit, Señorita. I can't guarantee that I won't find pieces, nor that I won't look for them. But even if I can finish the puzzle, I won't be showing the end result to anyone your boss wouldn't want seeing. You have my word." Artemis stated calmly.

It was silent for a few minutes, every second making the atmosphere more tense. Artemis thought nothing of it, she just crossed her legs, folded her arms and closed her eyes. She would have been shot by now if they were going to do her any harm, and they wouldn't drive her home if she knew where their warehouse was. They wouldn't plop her on the street either; if she was killed out there, it would lead the police to the boss.

Finally, the gun was moved away, the sound of it being put into a holster confirming that Tiburón had calmed down. "I do have instructions. You have a thousand on you for the boss?" Artemis only nodded. There was a pause, but the vehicle soon began moving. "We'll be arriving at a hotel soon. I'll be giving you the key to see him. You will go up the stairs to the fifth floor and unlock the door. You'll put the key on the table nearby, but you will not turn on the lights. You will walk into the darkness of the room, and say the according."

Tiburón must have nodded at the driver, for he put a piece of paper in her lap. Artemis could make out the phrase, and soon found herself smirking again. "Understood, Señorita."

They pulled up to a hotel soon. It wasn't a cheap place, but it wasn't four star quality. This was especially proven true when Artemis was handed the room key. That in being, it was a key with a tag on the chain, numbering: 507. That was Artemis' cue to get out.

Taking her stuff with her, Artemis moved past the front desk and made it to the stairs. Climbing up ten flights wasn't ideal, but it didn't take her long to realize why. The stairs had cameras, but they didn't belong to the hotel. Murciélago was very careful in protecting himself, which was understandable. She could only hope that dealing with all of the paranoia was would be worth it.

She made it to the fifth floor, finding room 507 at the end of the hallway to the left. As instructed, she unlocked the door, placed the key on the nightstand, and just walked inside. The lack of light bothered her, specifically because she was aware that there was _at least_ one other person in the room. Regardless, she took a deep breath before speaking calmly: "Perdone, pero tengo una cita con el Señor Murciélago."

A prick was felt at her neck; the sound of the door shutting being the last thing she could recall.

* * *

_**Finally, an update! Sorry if I kept anyone waiting, I just have a lot going on right now.  
**_

_**Well, until next time!  
~ K. Fang-sama**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Chapter Six, here we go!**_

* * *

Murciélago

**Chapter Six**

A groan came through the room as Artemis tried to open her eyes. She quickly processed what happened, despite her slight disorientation. She walked into the hotel room, she spoke to Murciélago, and was drugged the second after. With a pretty strong sedative, she might add. Opening her eyes was difficult enough.

Blue eyes opened, still, and she found herself staring at stained wood. It took a bit to realize that she was in a sitting position with her head on a table. Once she did, however, she forced her head to lift, no matter how exhausting it felt. It took a bit to get used to the small amount of light that was in the room, specifically because they were dim and came from left and right. Once she did, though, she took quick notice of a man sitting across from her.

He wasn't much taller than she was, 5'6"-5'7" at best. She couldn't see him very well with the light, so she concluded he was covered in black attire. Although unable to see below the waist, the man across from her had on a black leather coat zipped up, a pair of gloves on his hands, a mask that covered every area except his eyes, and a pair of biker goggles to accommodate for it. The final thing she noticed was a necklace, with a silver charm on it that must have been how his name originated.

The next thing she noticed was that all of her files and notes were spread on the table, and he was reading through every bit of them. Looking around, screens were playing the different recordings of her captain, and the clippings were all posted on the wall. She also noticed two other men; one was rather large while the other was tall, thin, and had an eye patch on.

Noticing she was awake, the men approached the table; the large one stood by her, while the tall one stood by the man in black. Said man lowered his head as the latter raised his, whispering something into his ear. The tall man nodded before looking at Artemis. "My boss apologizes, Detective. The anesthetic was only a precaution, but it wasn't meant to knock you out as long as it did. Would you like anything to drink? Some water, or-" The man stopped once Artemis nodded at him. "Just one moment, then."

Briefly, the man left, only to return with a glass of ice water. He placed it in front of her before returning to his boss' side. They remained still while Artemis took her drink. She hadn't realized how parched she was.

Once through with the glass, Artemis set the glass down. "So, you're Murciélago." She stated, looking at the man in black. He nodded once, making the cop sit a little straighter. "Correct me if I'm wrong, then. But I assume you have questions for me." It was another statement, to which he nodded.

The tall man lowered his head again, nodding lightly at receiving his boss' words before standing up and speaking again. "In his words: 'I was a bit surprised that you wanted to meet me, Detective. Even more so when I heard of you from both the Strawberry, as well as Pantera. You passed all of the searches, and every dollar bill you gave us was real. You followed all of my instructions to the letter, and you came here with a lot of information on you. What is it that you want me to do for you?'"

Artemis took in a breath before speaking again. "Let me begin by asking you a few questions, Murciélago. I'm sure you've heard of the Dashing Demon, and I am sure you have your own opinion on him. I'm sure you're also aware of the fact the Captain Kaname Tousen is fronting the investigation." Murciélago nodded at this. "What do you think about the two of them?"

Again, the taller man leaned down so his boss could in his ear. It took a few minutes, but he was soon standing upright. "Quote: 'The Dashing Demon, like most serial killers, is a nuisance to me. Business is now backed up because people are afraid, and there are more cops running around here than I am comfortable with. As for Captain Tousen, I've come to the conclusion that he's using this case to put people away because he finds them scum, and should be keeping an open mind about who the killer might be.' Unquote."

She nodded. "My second question is: in your opinion, would this case; or any murder case, for that matter; go faster if Tousen wasn't calling the shots?" The man was about to lower his head again, but his boss lifted a hand to stop. He then looked at Artemis and nodded solemnly. She smirked. "Well then, we're on the same page with each other."

"What do you mean?" The taller man asked outright.

Artemis smirked up at him. "I mean just that. My captain is a nuisance and an embarrassment to the law enforcement profession. If he keeps it up, no arrest we make will ever stick, and several guilty people will run free. That's why I brought all of this to you." She stated.

Murciélago looked up at his employee, his hands folded. The man lowered himself once more, listening intently before looking at her. "'You want me to end your captain's career?'" He quoted. Artemis nodded. Still lowered, Murciélago's speaker soon stood straight. "'I can easily end his career, but why bring me your case?'"

The detective blinked a few times before responding. "Here I thought that was obvious." The speaker's brow arched, arms crossing. Artemis rested her arms on the table, folding her hands before leaning on it. "I want you to ruin his career, you're right. I want it demolished to the point he could never return to law enforcement, ever again. The Dashing Demon is simply a tool for you to do so." She informed them.

"How do you figure?" The speaker asked.

She shrugged. "I'll leave that to Murciélago. After all, this is his area of expertise, not mine."

It was silent then. No one moved, not even the speaker. Murciélago seemed to have been considering the job, as evident when he grabbed one of her notes and read it with his head tilted slightly. Despite his eyes being hidden, Artemis could feel him shift his gaze to stare at her, making her tense slightly. She kept her expression calm, waiting anxiously for the black-clad male to do something.

A few moments passed, and finally, Murciélago did something. He placed the parchment back on the table, standing up before whispering into his subordinate's ear again. He then moved passed Artemis, leaving her staring at his speaker. "In his words: 'I agreed to meet you because you caught my interest, Detective. Hearing your request, I must say, I'm a bit surprised. I don't usually like digging up dirt on people, but you've given me a way to make it more interesting.'" Artemis' brows rose slightly. "'You will receive more instructions once you get home.'" He finished.

And with that came another prick in her neck, darkness consuming her once more.

* * *

Ulquiorra waited in the back seat of the car. After knocking the detective unconscious, he had removed the suspicious attire he was wearing and told Nnoitra to get her into the car. Yammy was left behind to wait for Szayel to clean up, while he left with Nnoitra to drop the detective off in her bed; hence the reason Grimmjow was given her keys.

Nnoitra returned within moments, shutting the car door and starting the engine. "I gotta say, Boss, I didn't expect you to take the job." He commented as they drove off.

"How so?" He questioned.

The taller ebony rolled his eyes. "Well for starters, you don't like cops. You don't like digging up the past, especially if it's by the client's personal agenda. And finally, you accepted her job despite the fact Szayel couldn't look back farther than when she was sixteen. And I know you like knowing about the clients." He stated firmly.

Ulquiorra blinked a few times, silent for a few moments to come. At the next red light, he said: "Where I don't like cops, Detective Yukimura is very intelligent, not to mention very bold. For that, she has my respect. Whether this job was created by her personal feelings or not is irrelevant to the fact that she's correct; Captain Tousen needs to be put down. As for her first sixteen years, I've already made a general conclusion on her life."

"And that would be?" Nnoitra asked, curiously.

Ulquiorra sighed once. "Simple: she lived a regular childhood until the death of one or both her parents, then was left to another relative who abused her." He stated.

He could see Nnoitra's brow arch in the mirror. "What made you believe that?" He asked him.

Ulquiorra almost smirked. "Why would Mila Rose apologize to someone?" At that, Nnoitra was silent. He just nodded before driving his boss back home.

* * *

_**Well, here's the new chapter. The fun begins real soon! :) But for now, CLIFFHANGER! XD**_


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